Modular Female Connector with Snap-Fit Receptacles
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Solution Overview
Problem
The assembly and repair of female connector heads for multi-line signal carrying cables are cumbersome and expensive, particularly in critical applications like nurse call systems, where a single failure can render the apparatus useless, and existing methods are not robust enough to handle frequent failures.
Innovation Solution
A female connector head design featuring a housing with elongate lumens and snap-fit receptacles, including guiding and support pins, allows for easy assembly and disassembly, enabling robust and efficient repair by snapping receptacles into place and using locking tabs for secure attachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If traditional connector heads are assembled from scratch or as part of a defined manufacturing process, then the connector head achieves proper structure and function, but the assembly process becomes cumbersome and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The connector head is divided into separate modular components: a housing and multiple individual receptacles. Each receptacle can be independently assembled and then inserted into the housing through simple snap-fit engagement, eliminating the need for complex multi-step assembly processes required by traditional integrated connector designs.
Solution Approach 2:
The receptacles incorporate flexible locking tabs that can be deflected during insertion and then lock into place against the housing walls. This dynamic locking mechanism allows for simple snap-fit assembly while ensuring secure mechanical and electrical connections, reducing both assembly complexity and cost.
2Reliability
If a single failure in one of the lines occurs in a traditional connector head, then the entire apparatus becomes useless, but replacing the entire connector head is expensive and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The connector head is segmented into independent receptacle modules, each handling a specific signal line. If one receptacle fails, only that single receptacle needs to be removed and replaced, rather than replacing the entire connector head. This modular approach maintains system reliability while dramatically simplifying and reducing the cost of repairs.
Solution Approach 2:
The design allows for easy replacement of individual failed receptacles while retaining the functional housing and other working receptacles. This selective replacement strategy recovers the value of the functional portions of the connector head, reducing waste and repair costs compared to replacing the entire assembly.
3Adaptability or versatility
If connector heads are designed with unique structures for different applications, then proper function is achieved, but assembly and repair become more difficult and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The connector system uses standardized modular receptacles that can be configured in different arrangements within the housing to accommodate various application requirements. This modularity allows the same basic receptacle design to be adapted for different signal types and configurations, maintaining application-specific functionality while simplifying assembly and repair processes through standardization.
Solution Approach 2:
The receptacle design incorporates universal features such as standardized locking mechanisms, electrical contacts, and mounting interfaces that can be used across different connector applications. This universality allows a single receptacle design to serve multiple functions and applications, reducing manufacturing complexity and repair difficulty while maintaining adaptability to different signal requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
A female connector head for a multi-line electrical connection is provided. The connector head includes a housing having proximal and distal faces. The housing defines a plurality of elongate lumens connecting the proximal and distal faces. Each lumen defines a receiving opening for a receptacle on the proximal face of the housing. Each lumen is configured to receive, enclose and hold a receptacle that is snap-fit into the lumen and defines at least one shoulder recess adapted to buttress a locking tab on a distal end of a receptacle. The housing further has at least two support pins extending from the distal face, and has at least two guiding pins extending normal from the distal face from two positions which are asymmetric about a center point of the distal face.